When it comes to misinformation, MSNBC’s Touré is a giver. Today he’s on about red states and blue states, and how blue states are the givers. We wouldn’t necessarily call paying taxes “giving,” and Touré’s followers aren’t ready to concede that conservatives are doing all the taking.

Touré stopped making sense quite a while ago. Maybe it would make more sense to look at individuals and actual giving, not redistribution through taxation. Professor Arthur C. Brooks “assumed that the people who are most vociferous about socioeconomic inequality would give the most to alleviate it,” but proved his theory wrong through an extensive study that inspired his 2006 book, “Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism.” As Barbara J. Elliot explained:

Conservative households donate 30 percent more money to charity than liberal households, and they are more likely to volunteer as well. Why the difference? Brooks found that liberals view government redistribution as a “form of charity,” which they believe exonerates them from further giving. But it clearly is not the same thing. Charity is voluntary and taxation is not.

So, maybe it’s time to slash taxes, cut off the “takers” and see who complains.